Stringed musical instruments, such as acoustic guitars, typically have a neck and a wooden sound box or body that significantly contributes to the tonal quality of and the resonance that is ultimately produced, by the instrument. Guitars that have aged produce an overall tonal quality and resonance that is widely considered to be better, and therefore preferable, to a guitar that has not aged. This is the reason that older, or vintage, instruments are highly sought after by collectors and especially players.
Unfortunately, the aging process for a stringed musical instrument such as a guitar typically takes years to occur. There have been attempts to accelerate the aging process, such as by exposing an instrument to constant light, but these attempts have generally proven to be unsuccessful.
One of the most significant factors that contributes to an instrument's aging is the effect from movements and vibrations on the instrument. Vibrations affect the entire instrument's wood cellular structure, thereby greatly improving the tonal quality and resonance of the instrument. The problem is that the vibrations are only created when the instrument is being handled, which mostly occurs when the instrument is being played. If there was a way by which a stringed musical instrument could experience movement and vibrations, consistently for extended periods, the time required for the aging process to occur, along with the inherent benefits, could be great increased.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related:
PAT. NO.INVENTORISSUEDUS2009/0229445Courtright17 Sep. 2009 (Published)7,227,068Van Duren5 Jun. 20075,537,908Rabe23 Jun. 19964,464,967Trimborn14 Aug. 1984
The US2009/022945 publication discloses a device for accelerating the conditioning process of a stringed musical instrument by causing the instrument to be continuously strummed and vibrated. The vibrations are transmitted to the wooden body of the instrument, which causes the instrument to prematurely age which over time improves the consistency, richness, and quality of the sound produced by the instrument.
The U.S. Pat. No. 7,227,068 discloses a device for conditioning a stringed musical instrument. The device includes a vibrator mounted on a transverse supporting member which attaches to one or more strings of the instrument. The vibrations produced by the device are transmitted via a mechanical chain from the string to the bridge to the sounding board of the instrument.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,908 discloses a method for improving the sound producing ability of musical instruments by securing some components of the instrument to a supporting surface. The supporting surface is then vibrated at various frequencies across a broad bandwidth for an optimal time. This method may be applied to partially assembled instruments during the manufacturing process, to completed instruments with strings and/or hardware removed, and to fully assembled new and old instruments.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,967 discloses an electrical guitar which includes a pick-up means taking up the swinging movements of the guitar strings and converting them into an electrical signal. The electric signal is amplified and transferred to a loudspeaker fixed to the guitar and an acoustical horn being arranged inside the guitar body. The acoustical horn has an opening facing the loudspeaker.
For background purposes and indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the patent search.
PAT. NO.INVENTORISSUEDUS2009/0293707Suhr3 Dec. 20095,031,501Ashworth16 Jul. 19914,206,678Espinos Guerrero10 Jan.19802,911,872Carl10 Nov. 19592,547,919Dalmas10 Apr. 1951